Charged plant vessel for controlled nutrient release

ABSTRACT

A plant growing vessel includes an impervious outer vessel, a cover, a first permeable membrane, a nutrient chamber, and a pocket. The impervious outer vessel includes an inert substrate in a root zone. The cover is positioned over the impervious outer vessel. The first permeable membrane is in contact with the inert substrate. The nutrient chamber includes solid nutrients. The nutrient chamber is between the cover and the first permeable membrane or between the first permeable membrane and a bottom of the impervious outer vessel, and the solid nutrients are in contact with the first permeable membrane. The pocket is configured to allow seeds, seedlings, or shoots of plants access to the inert substrate through an aperture in the cover.

BACKGROUND

The inherent difficulties of growing, maintaining, and shipping largeindividual quantities of edible plant matter are sufficiently extensivethat the field doesn't have a particularly strong record of innovation.Mistakes at any point in the growing, maintaining, and/or shippingprocess(es) often instantly lead to unusable products, with nopossibility of recovery or regeneration. In short, the methods andapparatus for growing, maintaining, and shipping large individualquantities of edible plant matter impose requirements of precisionwholly unknown in most other industries. Each individual stage for themethods and apparatus imposes its own separate challenges.

Individual plants, regardless of the scale at which they are grown andmaintained, require more than soil, water, light, and nutrients, thoughall four are important. The locations of these components and the timingschedule at which they are delivered to a growing plant are additionallycritical for plant growth.

Existing vessels for growing individual plants in large quantitiesexhibit several obstacles to successfully delivering packaged edibleproducts. These obstacles include effectively delivering water andnutrients to the plants and controlling the climate conditions aroundthe plant given the potential interactions between the plant and thegrowing medium as well as the interaction of the growing medium with thesurroundings within the microclimate. Additional obstacles includeprotection against harsh handling when the plants are distributed,evaporation, effective watering of the growing medium, etc.

A need therefore exists for both a method and apparatus for storing,feeding, efficiently growing, and delivering individually secured andmaintained edible plant products.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A plant growing vessel includes an impervious outer vessel, a cover, afirst permeable membrane, a nutrient chamber, and a pocket. Theimpervious outer vessel includes an inert substrate in a root zone. Thecover is positioned over the impervious outer vessel. The firstpermeable membrane is in contact with the inert substrate. The nutrientchamber includes solid nutrients. The nutrient chamber is between a wallof the impervious outer vessel and the first permeable membrane, and thesolid nutrients are in contact with the first permeable membrane. Thepocket is configured for allowing seeds, seedlings, or shoots of plantsaccess to the inert substrate through an aperture in the cover.

A plant growing vessel includes an impervious outer vessel, a cover, afirst permeable membrane, a nutrient chamber, and a pocket. Theimpervious outer vessel includes an inert substrate in a root zone. Thecover is positioned over the impervious outer vessel. The firstpermeable membrane is in contact with the inert substrate. The nutrientchamber includes solid nutrients. The nutrient chamber is between thecover and the first permeable membrane or between the first permeablemembrane and a bottom of the impervious outer vessel, and the solidnutrients are in contact with the first permeable membrane. The pocketis configured to allow seeds, seedlings, or shoots of plants access tothe inert substrate through an aperture in the cover.

A method of growing seeds or seedlings is provided with a growingvessel. The growing vessel includes an impervious outer vessel, a cover,a first permeable membrane, a nutrient chamber, and a pocket. Theimpervious outer vessel includes an inert substrate in a root zone. Thecover is positioned over the impervious outer vessel. The firstpermeable membrane is in contact with the inert substrate. The nutrientchamber includes solid nutrients. The nutrient chamber is between thecover and the first permeable membrane or between the first permeablemembrane and a bottom of the impervious outer vessel, and the solidnutrients are in contact with the first permeable membrane. The pocketis configured for allowing seeds, seedlings, or shoots of plants accessto the inert substrate through an aperture in the cover.

The method of growing seeds or seedlings involves planting the seeds orseedlings in the pocket and in contact with the inert substrate. Wateris then injected into at least one of the nutrient chamber, the inertsubstrate, or combinations thereof. The shoots of the plants are thenallowed to grow through the aperture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, themost significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to thefigure number in which that element is first introduced.

FIG. 1 illustrates a sectional view of a growing vessel 100 inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the growing vessel 100 in accordancewith one embodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional view of a growing vessel 300 inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of the growing vessel 300 in accordancewith one embodiment.

FIG. 5 illustrates sectional view of growing vessels 500 in accordancewith one embodiment.

FIG. 6 illustrates a sectional view of a growing vessel 600 inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 7 illustrates a sectional view of a growing vessel 700 inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 8 illustrates a sectional view of a growing vessel 800 inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 9 illustrates a sectional view of a growing vessel 900 inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 10 illustrates a sectional view of a growing vessel 1000 inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 11 illustrates a sectional view of a growing vessel 1100 inaccordance with one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure is directed to a charged plant vessel for controllingnutrient release.

Existing vessels for growing individual plants in large quantitiesexhibit several obstacles to the successful delivery of packaged edibleproducts. The location of nutrients (e.g., fertilizing matter to feedthe plant supplementing access to soil, water and air) may beeffectively sealed from the plant itself, as direct exposure to rawnutrients inhibit its growth. Water may be carefully and precisely fedto said nutrients, with an additional means for the water and nutrientsto reach the inert substrate in which the plant roots grow. The vesselsmay be effectively standardized in shape and composition to allowpredictable delivery as described. And finally, the entire vessel may becompostable, as re-use of the vessel may not be otherwise feasible givenother constraints.

The primary identified problems and their solutions are related to thestoring, feeding and growing a scalable number of plants. First,providing a permeable separation between a deposit of plant nutrientsand an area where seeds are initially planted allows for precise amountsof said nutrients to be delivered to a plant or set of plants. Also,calibrating the amounts of water and nutrients needed by a scalablenumber of plants, keeping the plant shoots and nutrients physicallyseparated, and providing a system that delivers water to plantnutrients, and an area where seeds are initially planted, or somecombination thereof based on plant type and fertigation need, isprovided by this disclosure.

The vessel containing the plants using such a method and apparatusutilizes two chambers, containing nutrients and inert substraterespectively, with a permeable membrane separation allowing water totransfer from one to the other. The vessel includes a means for water tobe injected into its nutrient chamber in precisely measured quantities.The plant itself may be effectively shielded from the raw nutrients. Theentire vessel may be a standardized shape to fit into a pallet moduletray for a growing plant to be held in position for water, air and lightdelivery. Additionally, the vessel may be compostable.

FIG. 1 illustrates a sectional view of a growing vessel 100. A growingvessel 100 comprises a cover 104 and an impervious outer vessel 112 withraw water nozzles 114 traversing into the impervious outer vessel 112.The impervious outer vessel 112 shows two stratified layers within itsvertically oriented walls 122: an upper nutrient chamber 102 containingsolid nutrients 106 and an inert substrate 118 layer containing a rootzone and organic materials providing for the growth of seeds orseedlings. A permeable membrane 108 separates these two stratifiedlayers, with its permeability gauged according to specific the specificplant type being grown. The permeable membrane 108 may be formed from anumber of materials known to those skilled in the art, (e.g., membranematerials). The impervious outer vessel 112 additionally comprises abase 110 for the purpose of retaining excess water or inert substrateduring transport or when individual growing vessels are installed withina fertigation system. The top of the nutrient chamber 102 comprises botha top rim 126 and a cover 104 forming a seal at the top rim 126 toensure enclosure of the solid nutrients 106. The cover 104 contains acircular opening, a seed pocket 124, into which seeds or seedlings 128are deposited into the inert substrate 118 through an aperture 120. Notethe horizontal level of said aperture 120 is below the permeablemembrane 108, ensuring that the deposited seeds or seedlings 128 avoiddirect contact with the solid nutrients 106 in the nutrient chamber 102.The solid nutrients 106 within the nutrient chamber 102 are isolatedfrom the seed pocket 124. A portion of the cover 130 separates thebottom portion of the pocket near the nutrient chamber 102 with anengagement to the permeable membrane 108. The engagement prevents thesolid nutrients 106 from coming in contact with seeds or seedlings inthe seed pocket 124.

Water may be added to the impervious outer vessel 112 through aplurality of nozzles. Fresh water (i.e., raw water) or water with otheradditives may be pumped through a plurality of nozzles puncturing thebase 110 of the impervious outer vessel 112. The raw water nozzles 114supply water to either the nutrient chamber 102 or inert substrate 118,depending on the fertigation needs of an individual plant or set ofplants. In particular, plants in the form of seeds or seedlings 128,e.g., in early development stage, require water in the inert substrate118 but not in the nutrient chamber 102 since the latter may be bothunnecessary and potentially harmful until germination. Once the seeds orseedlings 128 have germinated and are ready to receive diluted solidnutrients, water passing through the raw water nozzles 114 enter thenutrient chamber 102 in precisely measured amounts calibrated to thetype of plant or plants whose seeds or seedlings have germinated. Thesolid nutrients 106 mixed with water from the nozzles then pass throughthe permeable membrane 108 to enter the inert substrate 118 stratifiedlayer and fertilize the germinated seeds or seedlings. The amount ofpermeability of the permeable membrane 108 is again calibrated to thetype of plant or plants whose seeds or seedlings have germinated. Insome configurations, A set of raw water nozzles 116 may be configured toenter the nutrient chamber 102 through the vertically oriented walls 122in order to supply water to the nutrient chamber 102.

Injector, or injectors may penetrate the nutrient chamber and maydeliver a precisely measured amount of raw water, or raw water withadditives. In another embodiment, separately controlled injector orinjectors may penetrate the root zone and deliver a precisely measuredamount of raw water, or raw water with additives. The amount of fluidbeing injected into each zone may be independently controlled and mayoperate independently from one another. This individual control ofwhether or not liquid is delivered to either of the zones, and if so, inwhat amount, may provide the exponential requirements of plantspertaining to both hydration (root zone injections) and nutrients (foodzone injections).

Growing Vessel

The growing vessel 100 (i.e., container) may be made of any appropriatematerial for facilitating storage of a plant and may be readilyidentified by persons of ordinary skill in the art. The basicrequirements include the ability to isolate the root mass and inertsubstrate with a relative moisture barrier. It is also preferred thatthe growing vessel material be able to withstand minor impacts withoutbreaching the barrier provided. Finally, materials are optimally chosento avoid leaching of chemicals into the inert substrate.

In some embodiments, insulating materials are preferred for the growingvessel. For example, if known shipping conditions may expose the plantsto drastic temperature fluctuations, an insulated growing vesselmaterial may buffer the root mass and provide more stable temperature inthe inert substrate. While it may be desirable to avoid extremetemperature increases during the day, the heat may be retained in thesubstrate into the cool of the night. Furthermore, an insulated materialmay reduce shock experienced with quick temperature fluctuations towhich many plants are susceptible. Slower temperature changes help keepthe turgor pressure of the plant steady and maintain nutrient uptake andoverall plant health, whereas a rapid temperature change disrupts thispressure and slows or temporarily stays the uptake of the plant andresults in poor development and health.

Exemplary, non-limiting materials for the growing vessel includeappropriate plastics (e.g., polystyrene, polystyrene foam, orpolypropylene) and cellulose (with optional water barrier), and thelike. Growing vessel material may be sourced from plant-based materialsto minimize environmental impact due to their biodegradability andrenewability. For example, growing vessel material may be sourced fromsoy, corn, potato, soybeans, and the like.

In some embodiments, the plant growing vessel, in single modular form,may have an internal volume from about 5 to about 500 cubic inches, fromabout 5 to about 100 cubic inches, from about 10 to about 75 cubicinches, from about 10 to about 50 cubic inches, and from about 10 toabout 25 cubic inches. In some embodiments, the plant growing vessel insingle modular form has an internal volume of about 5, 7, 10, 15, 20,25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 75, 100, 150, or 200 cubic inches.

As indicated above, the growing vessel assembly comprises a pliablecover substantially sealed against the growing vessel. Typically, thecover is substantially sealed against the top rim of the growing vessel.The sealing is typically completed after the inert substrate is placedinto the interior space of the growing vessel. In some embodiments, thesealing is completed without a seed or plant part in the inertsubstrate. The seed or plant part may be inserted later through theaperture 120 in the cover 104.

The term “substantial seal” and grammatical variants thereof indicatethat contact is maintained between the cover 104 and the growing vesselsuch that it substantially impedes air or vapor communication betweenthe interior and exterior of the impervious outer vessel 112 to preventnon-transpiration water loss. In this regard, it is preferred that themajority of all water loss from the interior of the impervious outervessel 112 be the result of plant transpiration (i.e., when the planthas a leaf mass on the exterior of the growing vessel) and not fromevaporation and airflow between the interior space and the exterior. Useof “substantial” indicates that some evaporation or leaking ispermitted, but the escape is slowed to maintain sufficient hydrationwithin the inert substrate for a prolonged period of time. The sealingmay be implemented according to any appropriate method known in the art,including use of heat sealing (to bond components together), gluing, oruse of fasteners, such as clamps, elastic bands, and the like, tomaintain a substantial seal.

The pliable cover 104 may have at least one aperture 120 that issufficiently large to provide ambient light penetration into theinterior space of the growing vessel such that the shoot extending froma germinating seed may extend upward through the aperture 120. However,the aperture may be sufficiently small to allow contact with the sidesof the stem of the growing plant once it grows through the aperture 120.Thus, the aperture is smaller than the crown of the plant being producedwhen at its mature stage of growth. The contact between the stem and theaperture edge provides an additional seal to substantially preventescape of humidity and, thus, preserve the hydration of the root masswhile maintaining a lower humidity for the leaf mass.

The cover 104 is a pliable cover. The term “pliable” is used to indicatethat the cover is flexible and may be moved or bent with the applicationof pressure. Typically, the cover 104 is overlaid on the growing vesselin a relatively taut configuration and sealed against the rim of thegrowing vessel, as described above. As the plant shoot/stem penetratesthrough the aperture, the edge of the aperture contacts the stem tocreate a seal by function of the pressure applied by the stem. As thestem grows and expands in diameter, the stem applies additional pressureon the edge of the aperture in the cover 104. Due to the pliability ofthe cover 104, the cover yields to the increased pressure applied by thegrowing stem and the aperture expands to accommodate the increased stemwidth. Preferably, the pliability is such that the seal is maintainedwhile not significantly impeding the growth of the stem.

The nature of the material used for the cover 104 may, in some degree,be determined by a person of ordinary skill in the art considering thespecific plant variety of plant produced and stored in the growingvessel. The weight and composition of the membrane material must bestrong enough to stay adhered to the growing vessel and withstand theelements during storage/transport and growth of the plant. However, thecover 104 may be pliable enough to allow the crown/stem of the plant tostretch and displace it while maturing (as described above).Accordingly, a person of ordinary skill may be able to determine themost appropriate cover for the target application.

Exemplary cover materials include sheets of plastic, foil, and the like.Illustrative, non-limiting examples of cover materials include:polystyrene, polypropylene, foil and metallic materials, plant-basedpolymers (e.g., sourced from corn, potato, soybeans, and the like). Themembrane may be any degree of opacity. In some embodiments, the covermaterial is capable of receiving print or embossing to accommodatebranding or other markings.

In some embodiments, the cover 104 is substantially planar. However, insome embodiments, the cover may have some topography configured topermit air to circulate in channels even if a planar leaf is disposedagainst the cover. For example, pronounced embossing of the membranematerial, such as foil, capable of holding its embossed pattern, maycreate channels of airflow by creating separation from a contactingleaf. The channels prevent the decay of leaves that contact the membranefor extended periods of time during the production and distributionprocess. While the leaves may not require significant ventilation, theair channels prevent leaf suffocation due to lamination of the flatsurface of the leaves to the flat surface of a flat membrane. A certainvariation of texture of this membrane that created enough separationbetween the leaves and membrane, even if just a “course” texture, orchanneling, may suffice to prevent this suffocation and decay, forextended periods of time.

The number of apertures and the size of the apertures may vary dependingupon the variety of product being produced. In some embodiments, the atleast one aperture in the cover 104 ranges from about 1/16 inch to about⅜ inch, depending upon the variety being produced.

The number and spacing of multiple apertures also depend upon thevariety of the product and the end product desired. Micro greens, edibleflowers and nutritional grasses may grow better with a frequency of upto about 30-40 apertures per square inch in the cover. In contrast,plants with small leaf mass per seed, such as spinach, may grow betterwith about 1-5 apertures per square inch, such as 1-2 apertures persquare inch, to achieve the foliage density required. Heading lettucestypically require only one aperture in the center of the growing vessel,unless a mix or blend of lettuces in a single growing vessel is desired.

In some embodiments, the growing vessel assembly contains a mix ofmultiple plant types (e.g., lettuces). For example, in the embodimentwith multiple lettuce varieties, about 3-5 apertures may be placedevenly around the near perimeter of the membrane. The differentvarieties of lettuce are placed in these apertures, resulting in asingle growing vessel with a mix of living lettuce/greens in a singleproduct. The benefits of this specific embodiment for the producer isthat this “mixed” product is produced in a much shorter time frame asthe goal is to realize 3-4 petite products, requiring only 20-30 days ofgrowing time as opposed to a single variety of lettuce requiring up to50 days in the system in order to reach full size. The benefits to theconsumer is that one may otherwise have to purchase 3-4 separateproducts in order to realize this mix, or be confined to purchasing a“cut” mixed product of compromised freshness, longevity, appearance, andnutritional value.

Pervious Membrane

The permeable membrane may be made of any material that allows nutrientsand water to flow through but allows the separation of the solidnutrients from the inert substrate.

Nutrient Chamber

The nutrient chamber may include solid nutrients of any variety that isbeneficial for a specific type of plant. Examples include nitrogen,phosphorus, potassium, and calcium, but are not limited thereto.

The nutrient chamber may be constructed by creating seals between thepermeable membrane and the cover, both at the outer diameter near theportion of the cover applied to the top rim, and around the pocketportion of the cover. Solid nutrients may be added before either seal iscreated, thereby forming the nutrient chamber.

In another embodiment, the nutrient chamber may be formed by startingwith a pillow shaped chamber with one side constructed of cover materialand the other side constructed of permeable membrane material, filledwith solid nutrients, that is sealed around its circumference and isapproximately the same size as the top rim of the growing vessel. Acenter portion of the permeable membrane is sealed to the center portionof the cover material to create the pocket (without an aperture). In anembodiment, the pocket is formed and an aperture inside the pocket ismade as part of the sealing process.

Inert Substrate

The composition of the inert substrate 118 (i.e., growth medium) may bedetermined by the known requirements of the plant or plants beingcultivated in the growing vessel. For example, different compositions ofsoils are known for applications in cultivating a wide variety of edibleand ornamental plants and may be readily and appropriately chosen bypersons of ordinary skill in the art.

The inert substrate may also comprise the additions of fertilizers,nutrient additives, mineral supplements, beneficial commensalmicroorganisms, and the like, to optimize the growth conditions.Additionally, if so desired, the inert substrate may also compriseeffective amounts of pesticides, selective herbicides, fungicides orother chemicals to remove, reduce, or prevent growth of parasites,weeds, pathogens, or any other detrimental organisms. The formulation ofnutrient recipes for the inert substrate may be adjusted as appropriatefor the variety of the plant produced and shipped. In some embodiments,the nutrient formulation may be modified by augmenting or even reducingspecific minerals to optimize and regulate the growth rate of the plantwithin the packaging, and maintain or enhance the color of the plant. Toillustrate, if a basil plant is suddenly placed in a dark environmentfor an extended period of time, the plant may initially accelerate itsgrowth rate in an attempt to “reach” for and regain the sunlight it nolonger receives. This type of rapid growth is problematic for packagedplants because it exhausts the energy and nutrient stores of the plant.Specific mineral recipes may reduce or slow this growth spurt during thestorage conditions, thus preserving and promoting long-term vibrancy ofthe plant. In addition, nutrient formulations may be routinely adjustedto promote keeping color and crispness while plant is packaged and intransport.

Optimized choice and assembly of the inert substrate may thus be basedon various considerations of the plant being cultivated. A briefdiscussion of considerations is provided. First, different varieties ofplants have different root structures within the growing vessel. Thesize (length and girth) of “mature” roots may occupy a large portion ofthe “limited” space within the growing vessel. This requires the use ofan absorbent and expansive material within the substrate to temporarilyexpand and occupy the substantial volume within the growing vesselduring germination. When at germination or early in the growth phase,the growing vessel volume is preferably filled mostly with substrate inorder to support the seed or young plant mass near the top and apertureof the membrane. The substrate is also ideally stable, minimized voidsor shifting, to ensure that the seed/seedling remains stable and in itsposition at or near the aperture for a sufficient time to allow forgermination extension of the stem through the aperture and for the rootsto penetrate into the substrate. As the roots increase in quantity andsize, they must be able to “displace” this originally expanded materialand utilize the volume of area that the expandable material wasoccupying. This allows the roots to fully mature and develop withoutbecoming root bound and compressed too tightly within the growingvessel.

Second, nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium are nutrients that contributeto rapid growth cycles of many plant varieties of interest. Many plantvarieties typically require large amounts during their rapid growthcycle. These nutrients may not be “organically” sourced for water inwater-soluble methods of growing and are not compliant with the NOP(National Organic Program) and USDA. This means that “OrganicCertification” as a hydroponic facility is not possible. To overcomethis limitation, and to facilitate organic certification, calculatedamounts of approved “organic” nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium nutrientsmay be included in the inert substrate. However, to avoid problems of“nutrient toxicity”, i.e., burning from the intense sources ofconcentrated fertilizers, while still providing sufficient sources ofnitrogen, phosphorus and calcium, the organic sources may bepreprocessed prior to incorporation. This preprocessing entails exposureto relevant microbial activity before they are added. The exactquantities of the desired nutrients are calculated for the full growthand expression of the subject plant. The source nutrients are initiallyprovided in compressed, pelleted form. The pellets are introduced to asmall colony of beneficial bacteria within this substrate combination.As the microbial activity commences, the colony of bacteria is small andthus processes a small amount of the organic nutrients. As thisprocessing continues, the byproducts of this microbial-driven breakdownare now able to be taken up by the plants' roots. As time goes on, thecolony of bacteria and microbial activity increases, resulting in moreand more nutrients being made available to the plant roots. Because thereproduction of this microbial colony is exponential, so is theprocessing and availability of the nutrients. This process results in acontrolled time release of absorbable forms of the nutrients. Thisprocess prevents nutrient toxicity in the beginning stages of theplants' development, and provides amounts of absorbable nutrientscommensurate with the growing demand of the growing plant, including inthe final trimester of growth when the demands are highest. This processis critically essential to the success of growing fully expressed plantsin exceptionally small and sealed growing vessels.

Third, considering that the growing vessel is sealed, the only source ofadditional oxygen to the root system is by way of introducing the waterfor hydration. Oxygen is contained in or on the surface of the water andis carried to the plant roots. If this oxygen level is insufficient,organically approved oxidizing agents may be added to the substrate topromote further oxygenation in the root zone.

In some embodiments, the inert substrate further comprises a thickeningagent. The thickening agent creates an effect that is similar to anaturally occurring event in the plant's life. When the end of a growingseason is nearing, the plant may experience certain environmentalsignals that induce the plant to produce latex. The environmentalsignals are often based on increasing scarcity of resources. Forexample, the length of day shortens, sunlight intensity reduces,hydration might reduce, or food for the plant is scarce. Latex in alettuce plant, for example, is thicker than water and very bitter intaste. The plant produces this latex to slow circulation and, thus, slowthe perishing process and extend its life long enough for the plant toquickly go to seed and flower for self-preservation of the species. Likenatural latex, the thickening agent slows the plant's transpiration rateand, thus, slows the plant's uptake of water from the inert substrateduring the prolonged period of storage in the growing vessel assembly.Furthermore, the metabolism and growth is correspondingly slowed and,thus, conserves nutrients. This effective “rationing” of water maintainsthe moisture level in the inert substrate for a longer period of timeand prevents the plant from exhausting the life supporting resourcesduring shipping. This extends resiliency of the plant during storage ofand improves the final product in the marketplace.

Exemplary, non-limiting thickening agents include agar and gelatin-basedproducts.

Agar-agar is a vegan based gelatin, made from algae. Agar-agar may beused, depending on the shelf life extension desired, with certainvarieties of produce. By mixing this gelatin in water, with a specificratio, one may manipulate the viscosity of water (with or withoutnutrients). By increasing the viscosity (slightly thickening the waterto a mild gelatin-like substance), the circulation of water throughoutthe plant slightly coagulates and slows. This slows the uptake of thismoisture by the plant. It also slows the transpiration (moisture emittedfrom leaf surface) of the plant. By doing so, the moisture in thegrowing vessel lasts longer, as the plant is using it more slowly.

While not all varieties require the use of a thickening agent, oragar-agar, it may be included for most plants at various concentrationsdepending upon the desired shelf life and expected environmentalconditions likely to be experienced during distribution and subsequentdisplay. To illustrate, a single lettuce plant and variety in asix-ounce growing vessel may contain four-five ounces of hydration. Inthis example, one-two parts agar-agar to 99-98 parts water(respectively), is beneficial for maintaining long term vibrancy of thelettuce. A person of ordinary skill in the art may further optimize theconcentration and water content relative to the inert substratedepending on the plant variety and intended use.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the growing vessel 100. The cover 104is shown as being circular in shape and engages the top rim 126 of theimpervious outer vessel 112. The engagement of the cover 104 with thetop rim 126 encases the solid nutrients in the uppermost stratifiedlayer of the impervious outer vessel. At the center of both the cover104 an underlying top rim 126, a seed pocket 124 forms a circular cutoutin the center of both the top rim 126 and cover 104. At the base of theseed pocket 124, an aperture 120 provides an opening through which agrowing plant forms a seal preventing the solid nutrients in thenutrient chamber from harming the seedlings or shoots of plants growingup through the seed pocket 124.

FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional view of a growing vessel 300 with a plant304 growing from the inert substrate 118. The growing vessel 300 is aconfiguration of the growing vessel 100 with a plant 304 having grownfrom a seed or seedling. As such the growing vessel 300 comprises thecomponents of the growing vessel 100. The growing vessel 300 comprisesan impervious outer vessel 112 and a cover 104. The impervious outervessel 112 comprises a base 110, vertically oriented walls 122, a toprim 126, and a seed pocket 124. The cover 104 comprises an aperture 120.Inside the impervious outer vessel 112, the nutrient chamber 102 isseparated by a permeable membrane 108. A plurality of nozzles, such asraw water nozzles 114, are shown traversing the impervious outer vessel112 by way of the base 110 to feed water to the nutrient chamber 102,the inert substrate 118, or some combination of the two during afertigation process. In some configurations, a plurality of nozzles,such as raw water nozzles 116, may traverse the impervious outer vessel112 through the vertically oriented walls 122, entering the nutrientchamber 102. The raw water nozzles 116 may be utilized as an alternativeto or in combination with the raw water nozzles 114.

In the growing vessel 300, the plant 304 is shown with an established aroot system in a root zone 302 within the inert substrate 118. The bodyof the plant 304 (e.g., stalk, leaves, etc.) is shown having grownthrough the aperture 120 and the seed pocket 124. A seal is formed atthe aperture 120 after the plant 304 pushed itself through the aperture120 into the seed pocket 124 and further extends its growth above theimpervious outer vessel 112. This seal prevents the plant 304 from beingdamaged from direct contact with the solid nutrients 106 in the nutrientchamber 102.

FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of the growing vessel 400 with a plant 402growing through an aperture 120 and a seed pocket 124. The growingvessel 400 is a configuration of the growing vessel 100 and comprisesthe same features and configurations. The plant 402 is a seedling thathas grown through the aperture 120 and the seed pocket 124. The leavesof the plant 402 are shown growing above the cover 104.

FIG. 5 illustrates sectional views of growing vessels 500 showing thedifferent depths for the raw water nozzles in the inert substrate.impervious outer vessel 508, impervious outer vessel 510, and imperviousouter vessel 512 are provided with the different depth configurationsfor the raw water nozzles. The impervious outer vessel 508, theimpervious outer vessel 510, and the impervious outer vessel 512 eachcomprise a nutrient chamber 102, a cover 104, a base 110, an inertsubstrate 118, vertically oriented walls 122, raw water nozzles 114, andraw water nozzles 116. The nutrient chamber 102 is positioned adjacentto the cover 104 above the inert substrate 118. The base 110 ispositioned opposite the cover 104 across the inert substrate 118. Theraw water nozzles 114 traverse the base 110 and the inert substrate 118to enter the nutrient chamber 102 to provide water to the solidnutrients. In some configurations, the raw water nozzles 116 enter thenutrient chamber 102 through the vertically oriented walls 122 toprovide water.

The impervious outer vessel 508, the impervious outer vessel 510, andthe impervious outer vessel 512 differ in the depths of raw waternozzles within the inert substrate 118. In the impervious outer vessel508, the raw water nozzles 502 are positioned proximal to the nutrientchamber 102. This positioning for the raw water nozzles 502 may beuseful for providing water to plants with high water demands and/orunestablished root systems.

In the impervious outer vessel 510, raw water nozzles 504 are positionedin the middle of the inert substrate 118 between the nutrient chamber102 and the base 110. The positioning of the raw water nozzles 504 maybe provided for plants with roots systems with different water deliveryneeds such as plants with established root systems or plants whose rootshave not grown below the positioning of the raw water nozzles 504.

In the impervious outer vessel 512, raw water nozzles 506 are positionedadjacent to the base 110. The positioning of the raw water nozzles 506may be provided for plants certain water delivery needs or differentgrowth conditions. The raw water nozzles 506 may be utilized with plantswith established roots systems that have grown beyond the areas wherethe raw water nozzles 502 and the raw water nozzles 504 are positioned.

FIG. 6 illustrates a sectional view of a growing vessel 600 with anutrient chamber 604 positioned adjacent to the base 614 of theimpervious outer vessel 606. The growing vessel 600 comprises animpervious outer vessel 606 with an attached cover 608. The imperviousouter vessel 606 comprises a vertically oriented walls 624, a base 614,an inert substrate 612, and a nutrient chamber 604.

The cover 608 engages the impervious outer vessel 606 through a top rim626. The cover 608 encloses the inert substrate 612 but leaves open aseed pocket 628 surrounded by a portion of the cover 630. The seedpocket 628 is the entry point for depositing a seed or seedling into thegrowing vessel 600. The seeds or seedlings enter the inert substrate 612through an aperture 622 at the bottom of the seed pocket 628.

The nutrient chamber 604 is positioned adjacent to the base 614 belowthe inert substrate 612. The nutrient chamber 604 comprises solidnutrients 602 that are separated from the inert substrate 612 through apermeable membrane 610. The solid nutrients 602 in the nutrient chamber604 may receive water from raw water nozzles 616 that enter theimpervious outer vessel 606 through the base 614 and are operativelypositioned within the nutrient chamber 604. The inert substrate 612 mayalso receive water from raw water nozzles 618 that traverse the base 614and the nutrient chamber 604 to position the tips of the raw waternozzles 618 within the inert substrate 612. The raw water nozzles 618may be positioned at different depths within the inert substrate 612depending on the needs of the plants being grown. In someconfigurations, raw water nozzles 620 may be operatively positionedwithin the nutrient chamber 604 by traversing the vertically orientedwalls 624 into the nutrient chamber 604.

FIG. 7 illustrates a sectional view of a growing vessel 700 with anutrient chamber 706 positioned in the middle of the impervious outervessel 708 between the base 722 and the cover 704. The growing vessel700 comprises an impervious outer vessel 708 coupled to a cover 704. Theimpervious outer vessel 708 comprises a vertically oriented walls 724,an inert substrate 712, an inert substrate 714, nutrient chamber 706,vertically oriented walls 724, and a base 722. The cover 704 engages theimpervious outer vessel 708 through a top rim 728 on the verticallyoriented walls 724. The cover 704 encloses the inert substrate 712, thenutrient chamber 706, and the inert substrate 714 within the imperviousouter vessel 708. The cover 704 forms a seed pocket 730 for receivingseeds or seedlings within the inert substrate 712. The seed pocket 730includes a portion of the cover 732 that forms the walls of the pocketwith an aperture 726 positioned on the bottom allowing the seeds orseedlings to interact with the inert substrate 712.

The nutrient chamber 706 is positioned between the inert substrate 712and the inert substrate 714. The nutrient chamber 706 comprises solidnutrients 702 that are separated from the inert substrate 712 and theinert substrate 714 through a permeable membrane 710. The nutrientchamber 706 receives water from raw water nozzles 716 that traverses thebase 722, the inert substrate 714, and the permeable membrane 710adjacent to the inert substrate 714 to enter the nutrient chamber 706.Raw water nozzles 718 may be positioned within the inert substrate 714entering the impervious outer vessel 708 through the base 722 to deliverwater within the inert substrate 712. In some configurations, raw waternozzles 720 may enter the nutrient chamber 706 through the verticallyoriented walls 724 to provide water to the solid nutrients 702. In someconfigurations, raw water nozzles may provide water to the inertsubstrate 712 through by traversing the vertically oriented walls 724into the inert substrate 712. In some configurations the raw waternozzles 718 may be configured to traverse the inert substrate 714 andthe nutrient chamber 706 to provide water to the inert substrate 712.

FIG. 8 illustrates a sectional view of a growing vessel 800 with anutrient chamber 808 radially positioned around an inert substrate 812within an impervious outer vessel 810. The growing vessel 800 comprisesan impervious outer vessel 810 coupled to a cover 804. The imperviousouter vessel 810 comprises vertically oriented walls 822, a nutrientchamber 808, an inert substrate 812, and a base 820. The cover 804engages the impervious outer vessel 810 through a top rim 824 of thevertically oriented walls 822. The cover 804 forms a seed pocket 828 forreceiving seeds or seedlings within the impervious outer vessel 810. Theseed pocket 828 is surrounded by a portion of the cover 830 with anaperture 826 provided for seeds or seedlings to access the inertsubstrate 812.

The growing vessel 800 is configured with a radially positioned nutrientchamber 808 positioned adjacent to the vertically oriented walls 822surrounding the inert substrate 812. The nutrient chamber 808 may extendfrom the top rim 824 to the base 820 of the impervious outer vessel 810.The nutrient chamber 808 comprises solid nutrients 802 separated fromthe inert substrate 812 through a permeable membrane 806. The nutrientchamber 808 may receive water from raw water nozzles 816 that enter thenutrient chamber 808 by traversing the base 820. The inert substrate 812may receive water from raw water nozzles 818 that enter the inertsubstrate 812 through the base 820. The depth of the raw water nozzles818 may depend on the needs of the plants growing within the imperviousouter vessel 810. In some configurations, raw water nozzles 814 mayenter the nutrient chamber 808 through the vertically oriented walls 822to provide water to the solid nutrients 802.

FIG. 9 illustrates a sectional view of a growing vessel 900 showing adual sided vertical configuration of a growing vessel with two growingareas separated by an impervious wall (partition 920) and nutrientchambers positioned in the middle of the inert substrate of each growingarea. The growing vessel 900 comprises an impervious outer vessel 918with two growing areas (growing area 930 and growing area 932. Thegrowing vessel 900 comprises an impervious outer vessel 918 with twocover 912 enclosing a growing area 930 and a growing area 932. Theimpervious outer vessel 918 comprises two growing areas growing area 930and growing area 932 separated by a partition 920, lateral wall 916,inert substrate 902, and two nutrient chambers 906. The cover 912engages the lateral wall 916 and enclose the growing area 930 and thegrowing area 932. The cover 912 form a seed pocket 934 with a portion ofthe cover 928 surrounding an area where seeds or seedlings may bepositioned for growing. An aperture 922 may be positioned centrally inthe seed pocket 934 allowing the seeds or seedlings enter the inertsubstrate 902 to establish roots.

In the growing vessel 900, plants 910 have grown through the seed pocket934 and out the side of the impervious outer vessel 918. The plants 910comprise a root zone 904 within the growing area 930 and the growingarea 932.

The nutrient chambers 906 are positioned in the inert substrate 902between the partition 920 and the cover 912. The nutrient chambers 906comprise solid nutrients 908 separated from the inert substrate 902 apermeable membrane 914. The solid nutrients 908 may receive water fromraw water nozzles 926 that traverse the lateral wall 916 entering thenutrient chambers 906. The inert substrate 902 may receive water fromraw water nozzles 924 that traverse the lateral wall 916 enteringgrowing area 932 and the growing area 930.

FIG. 10 illustrates a sectional view of a growing vessel 1000 showing adual sided vertical configuration of a growing vessel with nutrientchambers 1010 positioned adjacent to the covers 1008 on opposite ends.The growing vessel 1000 comprises an impervious outer vessel 1022 andtwo covers 1008. The impervious outer vessel 1022 comprises a lateralwall 1012, two nutrient chambers 1010, and inert substrate 1002. Thelateral wall 1012 engages the covers 1008 enclosing the nutrientchambers 1010 and the inert substrate 1002. The nutrient chambers 1010are positioned adjacent to the covers 1008. Each of the covers 1008forms a seed pocket 1028 with a portion of the cover 1026 forming abarrier preventing solid nutrients 1004 from interacting with seeds orseedlings early in their growth. The seed pocket 1028 includes anaperture 1014 where seeds or seedlings may enter the inert substrate1002 without contacting the solid nutrients 1004. Water may be providedto the solid nutrients 1004 in the nutrient chambers 1010 through rawwater nozzles 1024 which traverse the lateral wall 1012 entering thenutrient chambers 1010. The inert substrate 1002 may be provided withwater by the raw water nozzles 1020 that traverse the lateral wall 1012to contact the inert substrate 1002. The solid nutrients 1004 areseparated from the inert substrate 1002 through a permeable membrane1018.

In the growing vessel 1000, two plants 1016 grow from the seed pocket1028 through both of the covers 1008. The plants 1016 comprise rootsgrowing in a root zone 1006 within the inert substrate 1002.

FIG. 11 illustrates a sectional view of a growing vessel 1100 showing adual sided vertical configuration of the growing vessel with a largenutrient chamber positioned between two regions containing the inertsubstrate. The growing vessel 1100 comprises an impervious outer vessel1124 and two covers 1106. The impervious outer vessel 1124 comprises alateral wall 1110, inert substrate 1102, and a nutrient chamber 1112.The lateral wall 1110 engages the covers 1106 to enclose the nutrientchamber 1112 and the inert substrate 1102. The nutrient chamber 1112 ispositioned between layers of the inert substrate 1102. The covers 1106form a seed pocket 1128 for receiving seeds or seedlings into theimpervious outer vessel 1124. A portion of the cover 1126 surrounds theseed pocket 1128 and provides an aperture 1114 where seeds or seedlingsmay enter in contact with the inert substrate 1102. The nutrient chamber1112 comprises solid nutrients 1104 separated from the inert substrate1102 through a permeable membrane 1122. The inert substrate 1102 receivewater from at least one raw water nozzle 1120 entering the nutrientchamber 1112 through the lateral wall 1110. The inert substrate 1102 mayreceive water from raw water nozzles 1118 that traverse lateral wall1110.

In the growing vessel 1100, plants 1116 grow from the seed pocket 1128.The plants 1116 comprise roots growing in a root zone 1108 within theinert substrate 1102.

The methods, apparatuses, and systems in this disclosure are describedin the preceding on the basis of several preferred embodiments.Different aspects of different variants are considered to be describedin combination with each other such that all combinations that uponreading by a skilled person in the field on the basis of this documentmay be regarded as being read within the concept of the invention. Thepreferred embodiments may not limit the extent of protection of thisdocument.

Having thus described embodiments of the present invention of thepresent application in detail and by reference to illustrativeembodiments thereof, it may be apparent that modifications andvariations are possible without departing from the scope of the presentinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of growing seeds or seedlings,comprising: providing a growing vessel, the growing vessel including: animpervious outer vessel including an inert substrate in a root zone; acover over the impervious outer vessel; a first permeable membrane incontact with the inert substrate; a nutrient chamber including solidnutrients, wherein the nutrient chamber is between the cover and thefirst permeable membrane or between the first permeable membrane and abottom of the impervious outer vessel, and the solid nutrients are incontact with the first permeable membrane; and a pocket allowing theseeds or seedlings access to the inert substrate through an aperture inthe cover; planting the seeds or seedlings in the pocket and in contactwith the inert substrate; injecting water into at least one of thenutrient chamber, the inert substrate, and combinations thereof; andallowing shoots of plants to grow through the aperture.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the water is injected by at least one nozzle into thenutrient chamber, and the at least one nozzle is inserted through theimpervious outer vessel and through the permeable membrane.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the water is injected by at least one nozzleinto the nutrient chamber, and the at least one nozzle is insertedthrough the impervious outer vessel but not through the permeablemembrane.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the impervious outer vesselincludes a base, vertically oriented walls, and a top rim.
 5. The methodof claim 4, wherein the cover is sealed to an edge of the top rim. 6.The method of claim 1, wherein the impervious outer vessel comprises atleast one of plastic, cellulose, and polystyrene foam.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the inert substrate is injected by at least one nozzle,and the at least one nozzle is inserted through the impervious outervessel.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the permeable membranecontrols the amount of the water and the solid nutrients entering theinert substrate based on its permeability.
 9. The method of claim 1,wherein the nutrient chamber is not in direct contact with the seeds orseedlings, plants, or the shoots of plants.
 10. The method of claim 1,wherein a portion of the pocket proximate to the nutrient chamber isisolated from the nutrient chamber by a portion of the cover beingsealed to the permeable membrane, such that the solid nutrients do notcome in contact with the seeds or seedlings or shoots of plants.
 11. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising a second permeable membrane,positioned above the first permeable membrane, in contact with the inertsubstrate, wherein the nutrient chamber is between the first permeablemembrane and the second permeable membrane, and the solid nutrients arein contact with the first permeable membrane and the second permeablemembrane.
 12. A plant growing vessel comprising: an impervious outervessel including an inert substrate in a root zone; a cover over theimpervious outer vessel; a first permeable membrane in contact with theinert substrate; a nutrient chamber including solid nutrients, whereinthe nutrient chamber is between the cover and the first permeablemembrane or between the first permeable membrane and a bottom of theimpervious outer vessel, and the solid nutrients are in contact with thefirst permeable membrane; and a pocket allowing seeds or seedlings orshoots of plants access to the inert substrate through an aperture inthe cover.
 13. The plant growing vessel of claim 12, further comprisinga second permeable membrane, positioned above the first permeablemembrane, in contact with the inert substrate, wherein the nutrientchamber is between the first permeable membrane and the second permeablemembrane, and the solid nutrients are in contact with the firstpermeable membrane and the second permeable membrane.
 14. The plantgrowing vessel of claim 12, wherein the impervious outer vessel includesa base, vertically oriented walls, and a top rim.
 15. The plant growingvessel of claim 14, wherein the cover is sealed to an edge of the toprim.
 16. The plant growing vessel of claim 12, wherein the imperviousouter vessel comprises at least one of plastic, cellulose, andpolystyrene foam.
 17. The plant growing vessel of claim 12, wherein thepermeable membrane controls the amount of water and the solid nutrientsentering the inert substrate based on the inert substrate permeability.18. The plant growing vessel of claim 12, wherein the nutrient chamberis not in direct contact with the seeds or seedlings, or the shoots ofplants.
 19. The plant growing vessel of claim 12, wherein a portion ofthe pocket proximate to the nutrient chamber is isolated from thenutrient chamber by a portion of the cover being sealed to the permeablemembrane, such that the solid nutrients do not come in contact with theseeds or seedlings or shoots of plants.
 20. A plant growing vesselcomprising: an impervious outer vessel including an inert substrate in aroot zone; a cover over the impervious outer vessel; a first permeablemembrane in contact with the inert substrate; a nutrient chamberincluding solid nutrients, wherein the nutrient chamber is between awall of the impervious outer vessel and the first permeable membrane,and the solid nutrients are in contact with the first permeablemembrane; and a pocket allowing seeds or seedlings, or shoots of plantsaccess to the inert substrate through an aperture in the cover.